Electrical connector.



H. A. DOUGLAS.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11. 1915.

Patented May 8, 1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS. OF BRONSON. MICHIGAN. ASSIGNOR TO DOUGLAS & RUDD MANU- FACTURING COMPANY,-OF BRONSON. MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR.

Application filed May 11, 1915. Serial No. 27,455.

To aZ-lwfiom z'tma'y concern: Be it ltnown that l, llannr A. Down-m, citizen of the lfnited States, residing at Bronson, in the county of Branch and b'tate of Michigan. have invented a. certain new and useful Improvement in Electrical (onnectors, ofivliich the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. forming a part ol this. specification.

My invention relates to circuit connectors and has for its object the provision of improved means l'or assembling contacts with carriers, other novel features of construction herein disclosed being claimed in my copendiug application Serial No. 27.156. tiled Ma 11. 19 15.

1 will explain m 'invenlion more fully by referenceto the. accompanying drawing showing the preferred embodiment thereof, and in.which Figure l is-a sectional elevation showing two members ol a double rou- .nector made. in accordance with the-invention; Fig. 2 shows the elements of Fig. 1 coupled with complemental members in a manner to establish circuit: and Fig. 3 is a. perspective view of one of the. contact-s.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the dillerent figures.

The type of structure towhieh I have applied my invention is broadly claimed in my co-pemling application Serial No. 27,56, filed May 19, 1915. claims being contained in that application which broadly cover the structures disclosed in both applications.

The structure includes a cylindrical m'etallic shell 1 provided with bayonet slots 2 at one end. there to afford means for the attachment oi some circuit continuing device which is shown as being a small incandescent lamp 3. whose filament 4 is provided with terminals 5 and 6 carried by the base of the lamp. this base being herein termed a contact carrier. Pins 7 project from the base of the lamp to constitute with the slots .2 bayonet catches for .maintaining the lamp and shell together.

The. shell 1 is in axial alinement with a plug of insulating material 8. that is also herein termed a contact carrier. this plug being here shown as being centrally within the shell and in rigid relation thrcto.

The plug is apcrtured longitudinally of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1917.

the shell, one end of each aperture being larger than the other to afford shoulders 9. Two cylindrical contacts 10 .are received in each of said apertures, the bases of these con tacts being provided with flanges 11 which are placed face to face, at i are together clamped against the shoulder 9 by a ring it received in the larger end of the aperture and there having threaded engagement. with the plug b, the, upper contact 10 passing through the bore of the ring that thus constitutes a ring nut. The outer end of each contact 10 is reduced to form a shoulder 12. contact carr \'.iug plunger of insulating material l1 projects throughthe cute \and ('ulltlnt'lttl end of the bore of each contact lt jthe base of each plungerbcing enlarged to limit the extent of its outward movement by engaging the contiguous shoulder-l2. it;

coiled spring ll is inclosed within each pair ol alined contacts 10 that together constitute a spring barrel. The ends of this'spring are seated within recesses provided in the inner tlltlH ot' the plunger-s 13, the spring bei ing'under such compression as to force the plunger-s 13 outwardly when the ends of the shell 1 are not sutliciently occupied by circuit continuing elements. The outer ends of the plungers 13 are provided with metallic caps 15 which are out of engagement with the contact elements 10 when the plunger-s are placed in their outermost positions by the springs 14. as indicated in Fig. 1, but which caps or circuit closers 15' are brought into engagement with the contacts 10 contiguous thereto when a circuit continuing element is fully within the adjacent end of the shell. as indicated in Fig. 2.

Thus. when lamp 3 is removed from the shell 1. the upperplungers' 13 are in their outermost positions in which the circuit is not. only discontinued at the base of the lamp. but. is further interrupted by the separation of the upper circuit closers 15 from the contiguous contacts 10. Generally it is not desirable to have facility for adjusting the lamp to in and out of circuit positions while mechanically interconnected with the shell 1. I therefore provide some suitable connecting plug at the other end of Ute shell, the plug shown having a body or contact carrier of insulating material J6 that carries-circuit terminals 17 connected with a suitable source of current. Means are afforded whereby this plug may have two distinct positions with respect to the shell while coupled therewith and that axe spaced apart longitudinally ot the shell. In

-. the outermost position of the plug 16 the springs 14 project the lower plungers 13 to their outermost positions in which the lower; circuit closers 1 5 are out of engagement with the contiguous contacts 10, whereby the circuit is then opened. When the plug 16 is in its inner position, the lower caps are forced into engagement with the lower contacts 10 to close the cir cuit. The outer ends of the contacts 10 are desirably longitudinally slotted to ro- 1 vide spring contact fingers for aflor ing firm electrical connection with the caps 15. The springs 14 are never in circuit. so that their resiliency is not reduced. .The means which I employ for adjusting the member 16 longitudinally of the structure resides in a )air of bayonet pins 18, carried by said mem r, and a pair of bayonet slots 19 in the lower end of shell 1, and so formed as to provide an inner pair of seats 20 and an outer pair 'of seats 21, the two pairs of seats that being spaced apart longitudinally of the shell. \Vhen the pins 18 a1 a received by the. inner seats .20, the circuit is closed,

' and when received by the outer seats 21, i the circuit is opened. By means otm invention, the angular dis lacement 0 one pair of seats from the ot er may be disre- I, garded, slight angular displacement being esired only to permit of the ready transfer of the pins 18 from one pair of seats to the other. This advantage is secured, since the contacts 17 may remain in engagement with the lower contacts 15 irrespective of the position of the plug 18.

hile I have herein shown and pa'rticu- 40 larly described the pref-tired embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto, as changes may readil be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following 3- 1. A circuit connector including a contact carrier having an a rture therethrough, formed to provi e a shoulder therein; a contact provided with a flange that is seated on said shoulder; and a ring nut within the aperture and through whic said flanged contact projects, and which not is in threaded engagement with the carrier and clamping engagement with the contact flange.

2. A circuit connector including 'a contact carrier having an a rture there- K through, formed to provi e a shoulder therein; a contact provided with a flange that is seated on said shoulder; and a ring within the aperture and on fimg the contact flange to maintain sai ange in engagement with said shoulder.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 8th day of August A. D. 191}.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS.

Witnesses:

HENRY C. Bowman, WILL M. Foma. 

